why does the kidkraft kitchen say 3+ years?

[etwahl]

seems strange to me. says that in the sensational beginnings catalog.

[JacksMommy]

I frequently find that the recommended age for toys is much higher than when my DS starts loving them. I suppose there could be safety issues (since a younger child might, say, try to climb on the kitchen, which isn't built for that, or chew on it, etc) so a lot of it is about liability. But I think the recommended age may also indicate when the child is developmentally ready to play with the toy as it was intended. Although my son has been "cooking" in his kitchen for months, and he's nowhere close to three yet. If you're concerned, why not e-mail the company and ask?

Laurel
Working Mama to Jack, 6/4/02
EDD #2 12/24/02

[casey118]

I'm not familiar with this kitchen specifically, but a lot of times the age suggestion is based on the presence of small parts that are more likely to be a chocking hazard for younger kids. Maybe the knobs come off or something?

[LucyG]

My guess would be because of its height. I saw it IRL this past weekend, and didn't notice any knobs that could come off and pose a choking hazard. I didn't go over it with a fine-tooth comb, but I didn't *see* anything that looked hazardous. It is taller than a lot of other play kitchens that I've seen. My DD is short for her age (about 28" at 18 months), but she was still able to open the stove, refrigerator, cupboards, etc. with no problem. She could not reach the cooktop or the sink knobs, but she was certainly able to play with the kitchen at her current height. HTH!